If a Live Activity falls in the forest and there’s no one around to see it, does it make an appearance on a Dynamic Island? Okay not the best but also you get what we were going for…

This week: absurdist energy drinks, Apple sold a lot of things but not as many as people hoped, and more on squishy sports media economics. ⚾.

Links:

• DAMN RIGHT IT'S FOLGERS — KIM DAVIES
• Amazon.com : GHOST ENERGY Sugar-Free Energy Drink - 12-Pack, SOUR PATCH KIDS Redberry, 16oz - Energy & Focus & No Artificial Colors - 200mg of Natural Caffeine, L-Carnitine & Taurine - Soy & Gluten-Free, Vegan : Grocery & Gourmet Food
• What could a Bally Sports bankruptcy mean for RSNs’ team deals? - The Athletic
• Exclusive: Sonos’ next speakers will be called the Era 300 and Era 100 - The Verge
• Apple results and charts: $117.2B quarter is still a step back – Six Colors
• Apple is eliminating its iconic 'industrial design chief' position
• Showtime Removes Short-Lived Originals From Streaming Platform – The Hollywood Reporter
• Disney Explores the Sale of More Films, TV Series to Rivals (DIS) - Bloomberg
• Disney (DIS) earnings Q1 2023: Bob Iger returns
• Disney announces layoffs, reorganization, cost cuts
• Warner Bros. Discovery to Keep Discovery+, in Strategy Shift - WSJ
• What will TV be like in three years? Insiders predict future
• Watch Shrinking | Apple TV+
• Amazon.com: OXO Good Grips 4 Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cups with Magnetic Snaps: Home & Kitchen
• Amazon.com: OXO Good Grips 4 Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons with Magnetic Snaps: Home & Kitchen

While we personally don’t know a single person who has ever watched whatever this NCIS show is, the data shows a Cocomelon NCIS crossover would literally break the internet. Free idea, Bobs.

This week: E3, EVs, RSS, OTT, and Ryan reveals his age-ism against the greatest generation (of news aggregator websites). 👴🏻

Links:

• 1Password announces multiple improvements coming to its app
• Daring Fireball: The Billions-Dollar VR/AR Headset Question
• Netflix hasn’t confirmed its plans to stop password sharing just yet - The Verge
• Exclusive: Peacock Drops Free Tier for New Sign-Ups, Will Only Offer Paid Plans to New Customers – The Streamable
• Showtime to Be Rebranded 'Paramount+ with Showtime,' Added to Paramount+ Premium Tier – The Streamable
• 'Westworld' will soon stream for free on Roku and Tubi after leaving HBO Max | Engadget
• Downstream #33: So Thirsty for Content - Relay FM
• Apple TV users can now watch Major League Soccer matches with MLS Season Pass | TechCrunch
• Ford slashes price of Mustang Mach-E amid growing EV price war | Electrek
• GM’s Fourth-Quarter Profit Soared as Supply-Chain Problems Eased - WSJ
• GM has started producing the Hummer EV SUV - The Verge
• The Premium G-Class SUV | Mercedes-Benz USA
• Introducing the GMC HUMMER EVs | Electric Truck & SUV
• Power Wheels Ford F150 Raptor Extreme 12V Ride On Truck - Walmart.com
• Exclusive: Xbox, Nintendo, and Sony Won't Be Part of E3 2023 - IGN
• Amazon.com: SUPMEGA Bike Mount for AirTag, Waterproof Protective Aluminum Alloy Holder Hides AirTag Under Bicycle Bottle Cage, Bike GPS Tracker, Anti-Theft and Anti-Shake (Security Screws & Allen Key Included) : Electronics
• Fitwaffle's Baking It Easy: All My Best 3-Ingredient Recipes and Most-Loved Sweets and Desserts (Easy Baking Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Simple Baking Cookbook, Instagram Recipe Book): Head, Eloise: 9781681889290: Amazon.com: Books

When sports were the only thing keeping people from cutting the cord and now that’s not enough, what do you do? No, really — what do you do? There’s a lot of money in it if you know the answer.

This week: crushing on Peter K., mulling over Apple’s upcoming foray into VR, and a visit to the LA Coliseum. 🏀

Links:

• Twitter’s new developer terms ban third-party clients | Engadget
• MLB hires Billy Chambers as EVP/Local Media
• Was YouTube’s NFL deal a $2 billion mistake? — Recode Media — Overcast
• Netflix’s New Chapter – Stratechery by Ben Thompson
• M2 Mac mini Review: Whatever you want it to be – Six Colors
• 2023 MacBook Pro Review: More of the same, in a good way – Six Colors
• M2 Pro vs M2 Max: It comes down to memory–and money | Macworld
• Apple 'Reality Pro' headset will toggle between AR/VR, serve as Mac display, 2-hour external battery packs, more - 9to5Mac
• Google Stadia is how you shut down a service right - The Verge

Hey Siri, who first said “sooner or later, everything old is new again?” Asking for a frie-, uh, HomePod.

This week: new Macs, somebody finally told Elmo third-party Twitter clients were a thing, and Tesla cuts prices across the board. 🚗.

Links:

• Brett Goldstein Sesame Street
• Brett Goldstein on Instagram: “It’s coming…. Spring 2023 Ted Lasso returns. @appletvplus”
• Twitter clients break as API goes down
• Twitter continues to disrespect third-party clients developers
• The Shit Show • furbo.org
• Tesla Cuts Prices Across Models Sold in U.S. - WSJ
• Tesla’s big price cuts mean ‘a major shift in the EV market’ - The Verge
• Exclusive: Surveillance Footage of Tesla Crash on Bay Bridge
• Apple announces M2 Pro and M2 Max-powered MacBook Pros, Mac mini – Six Colors
• macOS apps will require update to support Wi-Fi 6E on new Macs
• Apple announces revamped full-size HomePod two years after discontinuing original - The Verge
• Theragun Elite
• Foam Roller
• Chirp™ - Simple & Effective Back Pain Relief

When you have so much money you have to make your Sonoma estate look like Apple Park, the Wall Street Journal is there. Or rather, Carlos teaches Ryan the art of the hate read. This is a good one.

This week: cycling directions, EV sell through, and a hypothetical touch screen MacBook Pro. Boop. 👆🏻

Links:

• Indoor or Outdoor Dining? With These Hybrid Spaces, You Don’t Have to Choose - WSJ
• Parasite (2019) - IMDb
• 🐶 Maxine the Fluffy Corgi (@madmax_fluffyroad) • Instagram photos and videos
• John Ourand: Only Winners in YouTube TV-Sunday Ticket Deal Are NFL, Companies Who Didn't Get Rights – The Streamable
• Apple (AAPL) Is Working on Adding Touch Screens to Macs in Major Turnabout - Bloomberg
• Apple celebrates a groundbreaking year in entertainment - Apple
• MKBHD claims that post-processing is ruining iPhone photos
• What is Happening with iPhone Camera? - YouTube
• Mercedes-Benz Plans to Install Its Own Network of EV Chargers - WSJ
• Ford’s U.S. Auto Sales Fell 2% in 2022 - WSJ
• Tesla finally breaks and offers round steering wheel on Model S/X | Electrek
• Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - Rotten Tomatoes

I mean, if we’re talking about a secondary character taking over the entire show with extremely mixed results — is there even a difference between Elon and Elmo? @ ryan, not me.

This week: a trip to the Social Security office, a Matter explainer, and more choice is good thing. 🚗

Links:

• Popular Baby Names — Top 10 Baby Names of 2021
• Change in Popularity
• Lakers are wasting LeBron James’ greatness and loss on Christmas is another reminder - The Athletic
• Why an Apple-NFL Sunday Ticket marriage didn’t come together - The Athletic
• YouTube Paying Roughly $2 Billion a Year for NFL Sunday Ticket - WSJ
• So Uh What's Going On With Carlos Correa? | Defector
• California Family Theme Park & Water Park | Sesame Place San Diego
• With New EVs Arriving, Brand Loyalty Goes Out the Window - WSJ
• The vibes are off at Tesla - The Verge
• Tesla confirms 285,000 people bought Full Self-Driving | Electrek
• Seventeen Amazon Echo devices are now compatible with Matter - The Verge
• Home architecture update seemingly pulled from iOS 16.2 and macOS 13.1 – Six Colors
• The new smart home standard Matter has arrived. Here’s what you need to know. - The Verge
• Channellock 131CB 13-in-1 Ratcheting Screwdriver | Multi-Bit Storage | 1/4-Inch Nut Driver | Quick-Load Handle with Cushion Grip | 28-Tooth Ratchet Mechanism Provides up to 225 lbs. of Torque , Red - Screwdrivers - Amazon.com

You don’t come at Taylor with that weak af Christmas album and expect to come out on top, Bublé.

This week: forgotten pre-orders, a more considered take on the villain of our streaming future, and Ryan’s sweet solution for smart home woes. 💸.

Links:

• Marcus Leshock on Twitter: "Got a fortune cookie at the restaurant tonight and it had an ad for FTX inside. Not sure what this means for our future. 🥠🤷‍♂️🤣 https://t.co/qvtWtG5t6C" / Twitter
• Taylor Swift Holds at No. 1 as Christmas Music Returns to the Charts - The New York Times
• Amazon Official: Introducing Kindle Scribe (64 GB), the first Kindle for reading and writing, with a 10.2” 300 ppi Paperwhite display, includes Premium Pen
• Amazon Kindle Scribe review: absolutely adequate - The Verge
• The golden age of the streaming wars has ended - The Verge
• Disney+ Raises Prices by $3, Launches Cheaper Ad-Supported Tier - WSJ
• Highbrow Films Aimed at Winning Oscars Are Losing Audiences - The New York Times
• Bally Sports reports subscriber losses, lower cash flow as RSN model teeters - The Athletic
• iOS 16.2 Features: Everything New in iOS 16.2 - MacRumors
• Apple Plans New Encryption System to Ward Off Hackers and Protect iCloud Data - WSJ
• Will Apple Allow Users to Install Third-Party App Stores, Sideload in Europe? - Bloomberg
• Apple (AAPL) Scales Back Self-Driving Car and Delays Launch Until 2026 - Bloomberg
• Amazon.com: Christmas Cone Tree Light, 7.5ft 295 LED Light Show Christmas Tree with 8 Modes Timer Remote, Dimmable Artificial Christmas Tree for Porch Yard Patio Indoor Outdoor Xmas Holiday Decor, Warm White : Home & Kitchen
• Super Good Cookies for Kids: Goldman, Duff: 9780063254237: Amazon.com: Books

You know that pet project you spend 10 years on and it never really gets any better? That, but it’s a listening device in millions of homes that cost tens of billions in R&D that sometimes turns off your lights when you ask.

This week: mood lighting, holiday lighting, and the Ford F-150 Lightning. 🛻.

Links:

• After Taylor Swift-Ticketmaster Fiasco, Senators Demand Answers of FTC - Variety
• Sports Alerts on the App Store
• NFL Sends Sunday Ticket Talks With Apple and Google Into Overtime - The New York Times
• Apple's Major League Soccer Season Pass debuts February 1st for $99 per year | Engadget
• Take a Look Inside Amazon's New Rivian Delivery Van
• Amazon.com: Philips Hue Play White & Color Smart Light, Single Base Kit, Hub Required/Power Supply Included (Works with Amazon Alexa, Apple Homekit & Google Home) , Black : Everything Else
• 24hr. analog timer
• Amazon Alexa is a “colossal failure,” on pace to lose $10 billion this year | Ars Technica
• Bob Iger returns as Disney CEO, stock rises
• Warner Bros. Discovery CEO: Doesn't 'Have to Have the NBA'; If NBA Leaves TNT, Where Could It Go? – The Streamable

We’re happy to report that we’ve been offered our own show on Peacock. Follow us as we upgrade one of the Painted Ladies with the latest in smart home connectivity and gadgetry. Uh, you’ll understand why it’s rated TV-MA for language pretty quickly.

This week: proper puck prep, network naming nuances, and assorted ancillary alliteration. 🏡.

Links:

• Level responds to lock picker opening its $330 Apple Store lock in seconds | TechRadar
• All the smart home news from the Matter launch event - The Verge
• The Apple TV’s upgrade experience needs an upgrade – Six Colors
• Combined HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming service launching earlier than expected
• the Barista Express™ Impress • Espresso Machines | Breville
• Lunar 2021 – acaia
• Amazon.com: GIFZES Dosing Cup, Stainless Steel Coffee Dosing Cup Powder Feeder Part for 58mm Espresso Machine DIY Tools: Home & Kitchen
• Amazon.com: Eureka Mignon Specialita Espresso Grinder (Black) : Home & Kitchen
• the Oracle® Touch | Breville
• Amazon.com: Dexas MudBuster Portable Dog Paw Washer/ Paw Cleaner, Large, Light Gray

Fivey Fox told us the best predictor of partisan lean during a midterm election cycle is average spend at Dunkin’ Donuts divided by number of Casper mattresses discarded per year in a particular district.

This week: anti-social shared photo libraries, sports media rights, and a reluctant look at Tesla bro’s purchase of twitter dot com. 🐦.

Links:

• Trader Joe's US Map
• NFL and Apple are at odds in Sunday Ticket negotiations
• NFL, Amazon Announce Black Friday Game Starting with 2023 Season; Teams TBD | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report
• Crypto.com Trading Volume Sinks 91% One Year After 'Brave' Matt Damon Ad - Decrypt
• Can Elon Musk Make the Math Work on Owning Twitter? It’s Dicey. - The New York Times
• Magnolia Table, Volume 2: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering: Gaines, Joanna: 9780062820181: Amazon.com: Books
• Amazon.com : Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM Full-Frame Large-Aperture G Master Lens : Electronics